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3 Total Reviews

Please Note: Reader Reviews are submitted by the readers of The BigScreen Cinema Guide and represent their own personal opinions regarding this movie, and do not represent the views of The BigScreen Cinema Guide, or any of its associated entities.

The classic 1933 movie with special effects and stop motion animation. In in a promotor, Fay Way, and a group of people journeyed to Skull Island to capture the ape name King Kong. Kong is pretty sweet huge ape, but don't get him mad.

When I saw it as a kid, the stop motion animation sequence scared the heck out of me. I was scared when I saw the 1957 film "Black Scropions," also with stop motion. But back to "King Kong." It's a fun movie about a ape who falls for a woman and he ended up on top of the Empire State Building with airplanes flying overhead.

I like "King Kong" better than "Godzilla." The reason: Kong is a loveable ape, Godzilla just wants to tear into Tokyo every time he feels like it. He's overweight and no fun. "King Kong" is a classic. A must-see cinematic experience.

One cannot deny the impact that a movie like the original King Kong has had on all such movies since its release. Judged from a contemporary perspective in 2004, the acting is bad, the animation (and other special effects) is worse, and the story is about the best aspect of it.

I can imagine that back in 1933, however, it captured the imagination of audiences and aspiring filmmakers alike. For its time, the stop-motion animation was cutting edge. Willis O'Brien became a mentor to Ray Harryhausen, who created the impressive attack of the skeletons scene in "Jason and the Argonauts." It was Harryhausen's movie "The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad" which inspired Phil Tippet to enter special effects. Tippet was involved in many special effects movies, including Return of the Jedi and Jurassic Park.

60 years after the original King Kong, Jurassic Park ushered in the next great leap in special effects hit the screen. Today, CGI animation is a commonly used art form that is practiced with varying levels of skill in today's films.

Many an interesting debate could occur between the relative merits of King Kong and Jurassic Park, but I think they both should be appreciated for their contributions and enjoyed as the very good monster movies they are.

If possible, find it at a classic theater and take in the whole experience. It appears often on cable, but you end up having to put up with commercial breaks and whatever cuts and modifications are done by the channel showing it, so I recommend renting or buying it on DVD if a local classic cinema is not showing it in the near future.

If you are a movie buff, you owe it to yourself to see this version of King Kong.